Automatic signaling and train-stopping device.



E. M. JONES. AUTOMATIC SIGNALING AND TRAIN STOPPING DEVICE.

APPLICATION TILED MAY 13, 1910. 1,126,778, Patented Feb. 2, 915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

F I L'T ZZ/j/ZEEEEZ liil ZZZUEZZZUJT' M MN y WM Mw/Q M. JONES. AUTOMATICSIGNALING A-ND TRAIN STOPPING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 18, 1910.

Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

w; 2 SHEETS-SH KHz/52715.2- 6% ELMER JUKES, 033 ATLANTA, GEORGIA,

iaUTUMAlLL'G SIGNALING AND TEAIN-STUPPING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patentedltehc 2, 112915,

eaplteaaen henn 13, 1910. Serial no. tet er.

To allay/tom it may concern 2 Be it, known that l, Era/ nn M, Jonas, acitizen of the. United States, residing at Atlanta, in the county, oftulton and State of Georgia, have inventeda certain new and usefulImprovement in Automatic Signaling and 'firainrStopping'Devices, oiwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact, description, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates generally to railway signaling devices. and moreparticularly relates to automatic. stop signalsoi thesemaphore type, i

In general it be said that in the, signaling device here disclosed, thesemaphore is adapted to show under normal conditions a dangersignah'which will hem hanged, to indicate clear when the trainrcachesaposition a predetermined distance away from the signal or tower,provided that the track ahead. is clear and thatthe usual trapkcircuits. for settingv in operationthe, semaphore signal are in workingorder.

The device further comprisesmechanism which will ordinarily project intothe path of travel of a lever or otheractuator on the locomotive, whichactuator may. operate. a signal in the cab, or the actuator beoperatively connected with a valve in the: line of the train. This.actuator ugpon the locomotive will be. moved by its. engagement with themechanism which projects in its path and accomplish its intendedfunction, unless the train has not been stopped before passing thesignal tower.

Generally speaking, the invention comprises'the elements. andcombinations there; of set forth in the accompanyingclaims and explainedin the description, by, reference. to a preferred embodiment as anexample:

Reference should behad to the accomg panying' drawings forming a part;oi this sgecification, in Which- Figure 1 represents, in a more or. lessdiagrammatic manner, a signal tower with a semaphore located at the topthereof and also illustrates'the, manner of engagement between thesignal-actuator on the locomo; tire and the arm which normally stands inits path of travel; 2 is aside, elevation of the mechanism whichonerates. the signal arm or semaphore of the tower, this mechanism beingshown-in position to operate the semaphore to show a clear track; Fig. 3is a side elevation of the mechanism shown in lfig. 2 in its normalposition-that is, the position where the arm is at danger; Fig. l is afront elevation or edge view of the operating mechanism, showing alsothe arm which projects into the path of travel of the actuator upon thelocomotive; Fig. 5 is a detail of the electric switch; and Fig. 6 is avertical section of the cushioning device for the semaphore operatingrod.

The mechanism here shown and described is intended for use in connectionwith a track circuit which normally, when the track ahead is clear,maintains a relay 1 deenergized. When the train comes within apredetermined distance of the signal tower, the relay 1 will remaindenergized in the event that the track conditions. ahead are not clear;but, on the contrary, if the track conditions are proper for, thefurther progress oi? the train, therelay becomes energized to operatethe mechanism for setting the semaphore to show a cleartrack and to morethe arm which the loeomotive might operate into a position to permit thelocomotive to pass without. operatingv the same.

' Tillie frame of the operating mechanism shown includes an. L-shapedbracket or plate 2. having a back portio'n 2 and an extending helli 2?."Near. the upper part oi the back 2% the arm 3- of a second L-shapedbracket 3 is secured ,An arm 3 of the latter bracket depends for. acertain distance in a direction parallel with. the portion 2 the bracket2. shaft i is journaledat one of its ends in the depending arm 3".referred to, and atits opposite end. is mounted upon'the portion of thebracket 2. Upon the shaft 4 is mounted a wheel- 5,'the periphery ofwhich is provided with a groove. Surrounding thefwheel and within thegroove, is a sprocket ehain 6r This chain, while retained'againstlateral displacement, by the walls of the groove, is not afhxedto the wheel in any manner, so that while ord1-- narily the Wheel andchain may move together, they may under certain conditions have.independent movements, the wheel merely forming a support for the chain.

. the repair of the chain) Accordingly, if, for any reason, thewheelshould become caught, the mechanism would not thereby beimpaired, forthe chain would move on the wheel and the operation of the Inechanisnibecompleted; j 1

An opening 5, provided near-the periphcry of the wheel in one ofthewalls of the groove, permits theflpassage of links and pins to enableassembling anddisassembling of the chain upon the ,wheel' andfacilitates end of the shaft 12 is a gear 13 which, in

,f'turn, meshes with a gear 14 carried upon the shaft of, a motor 15. Itwill be apparent Ithat as the motor is operated, the gears 14,

13, 11 and 10, and the sprocket wheel 9, will be driven, which willthereby cause the movement of the sprocket chain 6.

A bent lever 16 is mounted near its central portion upon the shaft 4.This lever (which, by mechanism to be hereinafter described, operatesthe semaphore arm) is composed of two'partswhich straddle the wheel 5and are secured together at their outer ends by-means of a pin 17 and apin 31", for the latch 31, to be later described. Upon the shaft 4 ispivoted an arm 18 which is likewise secured to the pin 17, and moves inunison with the lever 16. A shaft 19 is suitably mounted beneath themechanism.

previously described and upon its end is a crank arm 20 which, at itsfree end, is pivotally connected with a rod21, which, in turn, ispivotally secured at substantially the central ortion of the member 18.

At a poinhnear the track an upright shaft 22 is mounted upon which issecured a contact arm 23, which normally projects toward the track.Upon, the shaft 22 is a bevel gear 22*, which meshes with a bevel gear19 the last mentioned gear being secured upon the shaft 19. The gears 22and 19?, aswell as a portion of the shaft 22, may be secured .within asuitable housing 22", which will protect the elements just mentionedfrom wear and tear incident to their use and also provide a suitablemeans for mounting the shaft 22. lit will be apparent, however, thatother connections may be employed between the rod 21 and the arm 23without in any way departing from the spirit of the invention.

As shown in Fig. 1, the am 23 projects in the path of travel of a lever24 which is pivotally carried upon the locomotive and may be operativelyconnected with the air line for the brakes upon the train or may operatea cab signal or accomplish both of these or other results.

Upon the opposite end of the lever 16 from that already described, asprocket wheel 25 is mounted which engages with the sprocket chain 6.This sprocket wheel is rigid upon a shaft journaled in the two sidepieces of the lever 16, and upon this shaft is a notched disk 26. Thelever 16 also carries an electromagnet 27 anda. pivoted armature 28therefor. The armature 28 is provided with an elongated arm 29, whichhas a tooth 30 so positioned that it may engage with one of the notchesof the disk 26 when the armature 28 is acted upon by the magnet. Thisstructure I term a magnetic latch.

-The lever 16, at its extreme end, is provided with a latch 31 which isweighted'at the upper portion thereof, 31, so as to normally throw thetoe of the latch in an outward direction. Upon a suitable .support 33,carried by the plate 2, is pivoted a lever 34, which is provided with aweighted portion 35, normally tending to throw the lever proper 3 1 awayfrom its vertical position. The upwardly extending arm 34' of thisleveris adapted to be engaged at certain times by a latching arm 36. Thislatching arm is pivoted upon an upright portion 33 of the support 33; itis weighted atits rear portion so that it normally stands out'ofengagement with the arm 34. This latchingv arm acts as the armature foran electromagnet 37, the operation of which will be later described.

40 designates the semaphore blade, which is pivoted at the top of thetowerand connected with the up-and-down rod 39in such manner (well knownin this'art) that when the rod is shoved upward the blade swingsdownward or into safety position, While when the rod descends it returnsthe blade to its horizontal or danger position. 9n the lower end of therod' 39 is a head 39 from which depends a rod 39 connected at its lowerend, by a loose play connection, with the lever '16.

An arm 39 is carried by the head 39 an extends downwardly and at itslower end is provided with a hook 39 The lever 16 likewise carries anarm 16 which is provided with a hook 16". The arms l6 -and 39 are somounted that when the parts of the mechanism are in the position shownin Fi g. 3, the hooks 16* and 39 will be in engagement, thereby lockingthe rod 39 in its down position. When the lever 16 is moved from thenormal position shown in Fig. 3, by'the operation of the device, thehook 16 releases the hook 39 so that the rod 39 may be raised. The looseplay between the pin 16 on the lever 16 and the top of the slot in therod 39, allows suficient idle movement of the lever 16 to cause thehooks 16 and 39 to unlatch before the rod 39 is engaged and shovedupwardly. The rod 39 cannot operate the lever, due to the lockand theloose play below the pin 16..

The normal locking of the rod 39 against upward movement, as described,is an im portant feature, as it positively locks the semaphore blade indanger position and prevents its accidental displacement by externalforces, such, for instance, as the accumulation of ice or snow on thesemaphore blade, which in the past has sometimes caused the blaoe todroop,'thereby wrongly indicating safety.

A suitable dash pot is provided for use in connection with the rod 39for securing a steady and slow return of the rod to its normal position.As here shown, the arm 3 ofthe bracket 3 carries the dash pot cup 41 inwhich is a piston 42, the piston being connected with the head 39 bymeans of a link 43, which is pivoted thereto.

A knife switch 45 is mounted upon an in sulating block 44 which is uponthe arm 3 of the bracket 3. This switch comprises a comparatively longarm 45 and a shorter arm 45*. The arm 45 is one terminal of an electricline and adapted to cooperate with a stationary terminal 46, which isalso-carried upon the block 44. A spring'47 is connected with the arm 45and with the block upon which it is mounted, in a manner to throw theswitch completely in onedirection or the other. That is to say, if thearm 45 be removed out of engagement with the terminal 46, the springwill tend to carry it entirely away from such terminal, whereas, if thearm 45 be moved into contact with the terminal 46, the spring will tendto hold it in such engagement. 1 The arm 45 extends in a path of travelof two stops, 48 and'49, which are upon the rod 39 so that, when thisrod is raised, the stop 49 will engage with the lever 45 and rock thesame to cause the disengagement of the arm 45 with its companionterminal 46, and when the rod39 descends, the arm 45 will be engaged bythe stop 48 to close the' switch, as indicated in Fig. 3.

The relay 1 is provided with an armature 1 which is electricallyconnected with the battery B, or other source of electric power, bymeans of'a conductor 0. The battery is also. connected with one of thepoles of the motor 15 by means of a conductor 0 and the other pole ofthe motor is connected with the stationary terminal 46 of the switch bya conductor 0. A conductor f connects the conductor d with one of thepoles of the electroinagnet 27, the other pole of this electromaguetbeing connected with the switch terminal 46 by means of a conductor 9.The arm 45 of the switch is connected with a conductor it, and when-thearmature l is closed, the conductors in and c"becom'e connected, closingbattery circuits in parallel through the motor and the magnet 27 of themagnetic latch.

A conductor j connects one pole of the electromagnet 37 with theconductor f, and the other pole of this electromagnet is connected by aconductor is with the conductor 72.. This magnet accordingly is in ashunt around the motor and switch and the magneticlatch and switch.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that when the relay 1 isenergized and its armature is raised, an electric current passes fromthe source of electrical energy B through the conductor 05, motor 15,conductor 6, terminal 46, switch arm 45*,

conductor 72., conductor 0, and thence to the battery. This will operatethe motor and cause the rotation of the sprocket chain 6.Simultaneously, a portion of the current passing "over the conductor dwill pass over the conductor f, through the electromagnet 27, and viathe conductor 9, the switch and conductors h and c to the battery. Thiswill cause the armature 28 of the magnetic latch to be drawn toward themagnet causing the detent 30 to engage with one of thenotches in thedisk 26. This will prevent rotation of the sprocket wheel 25 andwillthereby lock it to the chain 6, causing the sprocket wheel and theend of the lever upon which it is mounted to be raised by the continuedtravel of the chain. This, in turn, will cau'se'the rod 39 to be pushedupward and thereby will raise the rod 39 and cause the semaphore toassume a depending or safety position. This same operation causes therod 21 to be pushed-down, which rocks the shaft 19, and, through theintermediacy of the gears 19 and 22, rotates the shaft 22 and turnstherarm 23 into a position parallel with the track so that the signallever carried by the locomotive will not be engaged by the arm 23. Thecurrent which passes over the conductor f will divide and a portionthereof will pass over the conductor j, through the electromagnet 37,and the conductors it, h and c,' to the battery B. This will causethearmature 36 to be pulled down and engage with the arm 34 of the latch34. When the end of the lever 16 reaches a certain elevation, the stop49 engages with the switch arm 45 and separates the switch member 45from the member 46. This operation opens the circuit through the motor,as well as the circuit through the electromagnet 27, so that the Itwill'be understood that the motorcannotbe stoppedimmediately by simplyceas =ing the supply of the current,. for the momentum will cause it torotate for a short time, ,-after the current has ceased. This,therefore, will cause the wheel to continue itsrotationfor-a period,after'the'motor simplyturn idly until it comes-to 'rest, and

prevent any-jamming of the motor. How-- ever, 'thelev'er 16 cannotreturn to its normal ,position immediately, because of the engagei-mentof the latch 31 with the catch .34,and will be. held in its elevatedposition until such time as the relay 1 becomes deenergized.

At that time-the armature 1 drops and opens the circuit and deenergizesthelelec:

,trom'agnet'37, whereupon thelatching arm 36-rises and the.weight of therod'39, which isf supported from the lever 16 upon the catch 34, causesthe latter to move about its pivot, thereby releasing the latch 31. Therod 39 will then be free to return to its ini- -tial position, but itsreturn will be gradual and under control of the dash pot.

The arm 29 of the armaturem28n is made long so that it will mechanicallyengage .with the knock-out bolt 29; upon the bracket 3 and therebyrelease the toothed disk 26 and the sprocket wheel 25 in the eventthatthe switch should fail to operate, as for example, by the currentarcing its separated terminals.

The whole mechanism, just described, is -usually protected by a housing,represented at D inFig. 1, andthe shaft 19 extends from the housing I)to the point at, which -it is desired to mount the arm 23:

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 2-. k

1. The combination of a driving'chain, a wheel loosely carryingsaidchain about its periphery, a rotatable bodily movable devicecooperating therewith, means for controlling the rotation of said devicewhereby it may be either turned on its axis or be moved "bodily by thedriver, a signal, and a connection between the same and said device,

whereby the movement of the latter may operate the-signal.

- 1 withthe chain, means for holding said mem- .60

2. The combination, with a motor, of an endless chain, a circularsupport therefor, a lever pivoted at the axis of said support, arotatable member upon said lever engaging ber against rotation, wherebythe leverwill be operated as the motor is energized, means forautomatically releasing the member when the lever is at a predeterminedposition, whereby the member may turn idly upon the {lever as the leverreturns to nor- ,-'mal';pos1tion.

3. Theacombination'with a motor, of a rotatable member operativelyconnected therewith, a (pivoted lever, a wheel upon the: lever adaptedto contact with said rotatable member, a latch carried by the leveradapted to holdthe wheel against rotation,

whereby .the lever may be moved as the motor is operated,- and means forunlatching the wheel-whereby it may run idly upon the rotatablemembenand means for holding the lever initsmoved position.

.Thecombination with a rotatable mem- 4 her mounted upon an axis, of alever pivoted upon the axis of the rotatable member, means carried uponthe lever-engaging with the rotatable member, a latch for preventingindependent movement of said means,

whereby the lever will be moved as the rotatable member is moved, andmeans for dis connecting the latch after the lever has the rotatablemember, a latch for holding [said -means against movement, and means fordisconnecting the latch after the lever has moved a redetermineddistance.

' .6. The com ination of a driving member consisting of a wheel carryingloosely about its entire periphery an endless freely mov-.

able driver, a-rotatable bodily-movable device cooperating therewith,means carrying said device and pivoted on the same axis with the wheel,means for controlling the rotation of said device, whereby it may eitherturn on its'axis or be moved bodily by the driver, means for holdingsaid device in a position into which it has bodily traveled, and asignal operated bysuch travel a p 7. The combination with a driver, arotatable bodily-movable member connected therewith, ,an electromagneticlatch for holding the rotating member against rotation, anelectriccircuit of which the said magnetic latch is a part, a levercarrying said rotatable member, means for opening said circuit whenthe'lever reaches a predetermined position,-,whereby the magnetic latchwill be deenergi'zed, "and means for ,holding'the lever in its operatedposition.

' 8., The combination with a motor, of a device driven therebyinavertical plane, a lever, a rotating member carriedby said lever andengaging with said device, an electromagneticlatch' carried by the saidlever and adapted to hold the rotating member against rotation, wherebythe rotating member will be raised bodily, an electric circuitcontrolling the motor, a second electric circuit com trolling themagnetic latch, means for opening the circuits before mentioned when thelever reaches a predetermined position, a detent'adapted to hold saidlever in its elevated position, an 'electromagnet controlling saiddetent, and means controlling the electric circuitof which the lastmentioned electromagnet is a part.

9. The combination of a rotatable wheel, a driving sprocket chain loosein a circular course about the periphery'thereof, a ro tatable sprocketwheel engaging such chain, a signal and connection between the same andthe sprocket wheel.

10. The comb'nation of a rotatable wheel, a driving sprocket chainembracing the periphery thereof but loose thereon, a rotatable sprocketwheel engaging such chain, a signal, a connection between the same andthe sprocket Wheel whereby the signal may be thrown by the travel of thesprocket wheel bodily, and means for preventingthe rot-arun idly uponthe chain.

12. The combination with a rotatable wheel having a groove in theperiphery thereof, of a sprocket chain encircling the said member andloose within the said groove, a bodily movable sprocket wheel engagingwith said chain, means for holding said sprocket wheel against rotation,and a signal operated by the body movement of said wheel when 'so held;

13. The combination with an annular member, of an axis upon which saidmember is rotatably mounted, a sprocket chain carried by said annularmember upon the periphery thereof, a sprocket wheel meshing with saidchain, means for driving the sprocket chain, a lever pivoted upon thesame axis as the annular member,'a sprocket wheel carried by said leverand meshing with the chain, a notched member connected with the sprocketwheel upon the lever, a pivoted detent upon the lever adapted to engagewith the said notched member, whereby the sprocket wheel will be heldagainst rotation and the lever will be moved as the chain is operated,means for releasing the detent after the lever has moved a predetermineddistance, a latch adapted to the rod for locking the two together whenthe rod is in an extreme position, and means for operating the-lever.

15. The combination, with a semaphore signal, of a rod operativelyconnected to said signal, a lever with which said rod is connected forraising and lowering the said rod, a hook connected with said rod and acooperating hook connected with said lever, said hooks engaging eachother when the rod is in its lowermost position, and means for operatingthe lever first to release the .hooks and then raise the rod.

16. Tn a mechanism of the class described,

the combination of a rotatable wheel, an

endless chain loose on theperiphery thereof, a lever pivoted concentricof the wheel, a pinion carried by the lever and adapted to coiiperatewith the chain, means for locking or releasing the pinion, and mechanismoperated by the movement of the lever.

17. In a device of the character described, the combination of arotatable wheel having a grooved periphery, a sprocket chain looselymounted in said periphery, a device movable concentrically of thesprocket chain, a rotatable pinion carried by the device and engagingthe chain, means for holding the pinion against rotation or allowing itto rotate, and mechanism operated by the movement of said device.

18. In a device of the character described,

the combination of a rotatable wheel having a grooved periphery, anendless traveling chain loosely mounted on said periphery, a devicemovable concentrically with the.

chain, a pinion mounted so as to be rotatable adjacent to said peripheryand bodily movable with said device,-said pinion meshing with the chain,means for holding the pinion against rotation to compel its movement bythe chain bodily or for releasing it to allow it to rotate on its axis,and mechanism operated by the movement bodily of the pinion. l

19. The combinationof a wheel mounted to turn on its axis, an endlessmember looselymounted on the periphery thereof, a motor geared with saidendless member, an arm pivoted concentrically of the wheel, a devicecarried ,by the arm and adapted to be locked to the endless member, andmechanism connected with the arm.

20/ The'combination of a rotatable wheel, achain loosely mounted on theperiphery of the Wheel, a motor geared with the chain, an arm pivotedconcentrically of the wheel,

a device carried by the arm and adapted to of, a device carried by saidarm for lockengage the chain and lock the arm thereto, ing the arm tothe chain, and mechanism and mechanism connected with the arm. operatedby the movement of said arm.

21. The combination of arota'table wheel In testimony whereof, Ihereunto aflix my 5 having1 an alnnular groove in i(t1s peripheryi,signature in the presence of two witnesses. 1-3 I an en ess ciainseating in sai groove an adapted tomove independently of the wheel,ELMER JONES a driving device geared with said chain, an Witnesses: armpivotally mounted on the axis of the JESSE DRAPER, 10 wheel andextending to the periphery there- W. F. FRASER.

